Relentless melancholy

 I did something that I have not done before… I threw a book to the floor in horror and could read no more. On and off I have been reading Eileen Chang’s Half a lifelong romance, I have been reading other books at the same time. I love Eileen Chang… and was enjoying this book. However, I felt that it started to become a bit frivolous in the sense that it was like a teenage romance… Chang, I now believe, was doing this deliberately because, unexpectedly, the book punched me in the face with its depiction of cruelty and violence and pain. It opened my eyes even more to mankind’s capacity for cruelty and selfishness. How people will even collaborate against their own family, causing pain and destruction, to achieve their own selfish goals. 

                  Deciding that I probably could not continue to read the book… at least not in the short term, I immediately asked Copilot to outline the rest of the book for me. Copilot’s summary was ‘relentlessly melancholic.’ It was all I needed to know. The world is a difficult place to accept at times; it is brutal and merciless. Relentless melancholy was not what I was hoping to add to the daily realities of world politics and global suffering. 

                  Thankfully, after spending two days with guests from Germany, Thursday night brought about a Menzingers concert in downtown Dallas and today is a day off to rest and recover. I have started to read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, a recommendation from a lovely colleague of mine, and, so far, it is unusual and beautiful. I’ve also spent the day doing relaxing things such as a Teams call with my dad, a walk, a swim, shopping for cat food, YouTube video creation and editing as well as some writing and music listening. 


AI generated depiction of Chang's Half a Lifelong Romance

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